2022 Documentaries (Documents)

Untold Stories - The Health-Related Implications of Historical Structural Violence Towards Black Americans

Sealy, Ashley; Martinez, Alejandra; Nakachi, Nariko; Peprah, Rachel

This story delves into the Jim Crow era, highlighting the identification of inequitable legislation and unethical medical practices. It explores the prolonged impact that the Jim Crow era has had on African Americans, including persistent health disparities between black and white Americans. The narrative provides a historical background on Jim Crow laws in the U.S. and discusses specific instances of health-related structural violence against African Americans. Additionally, it examines how the practices from the Jim Crow era have fostered mistrust among black Americans.

Untold Stories in Public Health is a course that introduces students to individuals, groups, and events whose impact on public health have been left out of US history. From African American physicians whose work has gone unnoticed to policy makers whose legacy has yet to be written, this course reviews the unsung heroes, their impact, the discrimination and structural racism they faced, and the work they left behind. You can learn more about the class and project on the website: https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/academics/departments/health-policy-management/news-events/untold-stories.